News from around the 32 counties of Ireland

A security alert caused major disruption to residents in Rathenraw last Monday after a suspicious object was found on the windowsill of a property in Norfolk Square.The homeowner discovered the object when she opened her curtains at around 9am - her children, pupils at Sperrin Integrated College in Magherafelt, had walked past it on their way to school sometime earlier. The device, which was made from a coffee jar filled with sugar, petrol, batteries and a coat hanger, was declared an elaborate hoax after examination by Army Technical Officers.
(Source: Antrim Guardian)
Armagh

Customs officials seized nearly 12,000 litres of illicit diesel at sites at Hannahtown in west Belfast and in County Armagh last Friday morning. HM Revenue & Customs said the raids were part of a major cross border operation against suspected fuel fraud, tax evasion and money laundering. Searches were also carried in counties Meath, Monaghan, Roscommon and Galway. Two vehicles and cash were seized during the raids in Northern Ireland.
(Source: Belfast Telegraph)
Carlow

Carlow towns and villages narrowly missed out on the national title in this year’s Tidy Towns competition. Clonegal and Leighlinbridge were only points away from the overall winner, while every Carlow entrant improved their position from last year. Clonegal walked away as the overall county winner, with a grand total of 303 marks, while Leighlinbridge was also among Carlow’s three gold medallists. Carlow town also secured a gold medal in the annual awards, announced last Monday at a ceremony in the Helix Theatre in Dublin.
(Source: The Carlow Nationalist)

Cavan

It was great news for the county as the official word came through... Cavan town will host the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in August 2011. It was not unexpected but still sparked major celebrations as the business community breathed a sigh of relief that the major international event, worth up to €30m to the local economy, was coming back again.
Now the hard work begins afresh, but the Fleadh Executive Committee (FEC) under the leadership of County Manager, Jack Keyes, have the advantage this year of the experience of organising what was one of the best All-Ireland fleadhs in history - the Cavan Fleadh 2010.
(Source: The Angle Celt)
Clare

A young Ennis woman was recently named one of the top 10 ‘Outstanding Young Persons of the World’. Junior Chamber International, a worldwide membership-based non-profit organisation, selected Melanie Hennessy from Cloughleigh as one of their 2010 JCI Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World (JCI TOYP).“It is really amazing. It seems a bit ridiculous because it is only me. When you tell people Outstanding Young Person of the World it sounds unbelievable so I don’t tell people because it is too crazy,” the medical student said.
(Source: The Clare Champion)

Cork

Hotel room rates in Cork fell five per cent in the second quarter of 2010, according to the Hotels.com Hotel Price Index (HPI), making a bed in Cork worth about the same as one in Mexico City. Room rates dropped from €80 per room per night to €76, making Cork a great destination for a value break in Ireland and putting the city on par with Prague (€75), Mexico City (€74) and, closer to home, Dublin (€73).
Source: (Cork Independent)

Derry

A group set up to develop links between Derry and London has unveiled an ambitious plan to create 400 new jobs in the city. London-Derry Connections Ltd aims to boost the local economy by helping create the posts by 2013 - the 400th anniversary of the signing of the Londonderry Charter by King James I."400 Jobs by 2013 - that's our target,” Colm Cavanagh, chairperson of the local firm, told the ‘Journal’. Joe Doherty, of the company’s Jobs Task Group, added: “Jobs is the crying need for the North West”.
(Source: Derry Journal)
Donegal

A district judge has told a Donegal man who used foul language to a member of the Garda that he has a month to travel to Co Mayo and make the pilgrimage to the top of Croagh Patrick. At Milford District Court in Letterkenny last Monday Judge Séamus Hughes told Joseph McElwee (38) of Aughavennan, Rathmullan, Co Donegal, he was to do the four stations of the famous Mayo pilgrimage as a mark of respect for his fellow Irish people, especially those in the line of duty.
(Source: IrishTimes)

Down

A symbolic blessing of bonnets representing the lives of convict women banished to the other side of the world took place in Rostrevor last Sunday. The ceremony took place at Kilbroney Church and the blessings carried out by Canon Jamieson. The bonnets for the women on board the Kinnear and the Roslin Castle were made by Kilkeel women Laura McClelland and Margaret McBride.In 1834, 165 convict women were transported from Cork on the Roslin Castle on its fifth journey to Australia.
(Source: Newry Democrat)